NSYPF 2023 Directors

2023 Directors

JEFF ADLER is co-founder of Horizon Theatre Company. He has been a partner in creating Horizon Theatre’s artistic programming since 1984. He has directed more than 30 plays for Horizon including critically acclaimed and popular productions of Every Brilliant Thing, Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason, The Book Club Play by Karen Zacarias, Superior Donuts by Tracey Letts, The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, Permanent Collection by Thomas Gibbons, The Drawer Boy by Michael Healey, Madame Melville by Richard Nelson, The Lonesome West by Martin McDonough, Racing Demon by David Hare, All in the Timing and Mere Mortals by David Ives, and The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite by Quincy Long. From 1995-2010, he led the Horizon Theatre Senior Ensemble, an outreach program that trained seniors in acting and playwriting and toured plays by and about seniors to locations throughout metro-Atlanta. He is in his seventh year serving as the drama teacher for The New School, a small, independent intown high school. In addition to his artistic duties, he also directs Horizon Theatre’s technical and production staff and manages the facility. He studied at the Goodman School of Drama and holds a BA in Theatre from Roosevelt University.


JUSTIN ANDERSON is an Atlanta-based storyteller, director and educator whose work has been seen at Horizon Theatre Company with A Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-TimeThe City of Conversation (Suzi Award for Best Production of a Play), and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. He was the Associate Artistic Director at Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, Georgia for many years, directing numerous productions there and around the Southeast. While studying directing at Rutgers University, Justin had the privilege to work with Amy Saltz, Pam Berlin, William Carden, and Deborah Headwall. He holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Campbell University and an M.A. in Theatre Studies from Regent University. Justin is also a part-time faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University. Along with his partner, Michael Crute, Justin co-founded The Welcome Home Atlanta Team, powered by Keller Williams First Atlanta, and is using the platform of real estate to help clients write the next best chapter of their stories through selling, buying, education and wealth-building. Visit www.welcomehomeatlanta.com for more information. 


MARGUERITE HANNAH (Associate Artistic Producer/Director/Actor, Producer of the Black Women Speak) started her adventures in theatre and the arts nearly 30 years ago first as an actor then arts administrator and now director and mentor. She has served on Horizon’s leadership team for the past sixteen years, first as Horizon’s Business Manager and the director of the Apprentice Company and now as Associate Artistic Producer. She has been a professional actress and a member of Actors’ Equity Association for more than 30 years working on both local and national stages, including productions at Horizon. In addition to her work at Horizon, she has worked in arts administration positions with the first National Black Arts Festival in 1988 and ART Station, a multi-disciplined art center. Ms. Hannah was a member of the 2011 class of Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta and a magna cum laude graduate of Howard University in Public Relations and Journalism. She is a member of the Board of Directors for two national organizations, the National New Play Network (NNPN) and the National Alliance for Musical Theatres (NAMT), and is past Board Treasurer of the Little 5 Points Center for Arts & Community. She was a member of Arts Leader of Metro Atlanta Class of 2011 and is a proud alumnus of Howard University. She has also been a Georgia Council for the Arts Grant Review Panelist; a Georgia High School Musical Theatre Shuler Awards Adjudicator; and a KCACTF Irene Ryan Judge & Festival Respondent.